


Radiant Garden 50 Themes Challenge

by pen_ultimate



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen, Hollow Bastion, Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, Radiant Garden, Traverse Town
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-15
Updated: 2014-09-29
Packaged: 2018-01-01 01:28:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1038708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pen_ultimate/pseuds/pen_ultimate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Memories and moments from three worlds, connected by six friends.</p><p>Obtained from <a href="http://wishingdreamer5.livejournal.com/">wishingdreamer5</a> on LiveJournal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. smile

If you asked the townspeople of Radiant Garden how they’re able to fend off the Heartless and Nobodies, they’d say it’s all thanks to the Restoration Committee. And if you asked them again, who the leader of the committee is, they’d immediately reply, “Leon.” Although, there are some people who will frown right after saying that, and continue, “…you know, I’ve never seen him happy before.”

Because he is always stoic and taciturn, unyielding like a brick wall. Yet, despite his personality shortcomings, Leon is a capable leader. It’s a wonder how he can keep his cool, with the work he has to deal with.

Oh, and with Yuffie hanging around. Definitely Yuffie.

She just never seems to _shut up_. All Leon does whenever she’s talking is rub his temples, hoping desperately that she'll stop soon. She’s enthusiastic, all right, and she’s determined to rebuild her home. But she doesn’t seem to know that silence is golden.

However, sometimes Leon does not find silence to be golden. Sometimes, he realizes that silence is lead, always pulling him down. He can’t think about anything else, and he can’t find anything to keep his mind off.

But suddenly, Yuffie’s there, babbling about her nonsense, cheerfully poking him. He usually stiffens in response, but he doesn’t find himself thinking dark thoughts anymore. He’ll reward her with a twitch of the corner of his mouth; maybe a little smirk. But that’s it.

Yuffie knows that’s a sign. Leon does not smile easily, but at least she can help him forget.


	2. flowers

When the committee finally finished building and cleaning up the house, Yuffie felt downhearted just by looking around.  _This_  would be their headquarters? With only one glance, the first word that came to mind was…gray. Gray everywhere, from the ground to the walls to the ceiling. No doubt the furniture would be as drab as the house itself.

Then one day, Aerith brought home a few packets of flower seeds. A small knot twisted in Yuffie’s stomach. Aerith sometimes sold flowers, back when they were kids. When everyone didn’t know of the imminent darkness that would devour their home.

She looked over curiously at the magenta-adorned woman, who was quietly planting the seeds in pots. In terms of usefulness, Yuffie ranked flowers somewhere far down her list, next to Cid’s cooking. Well, at least Cid’s cooking was somewhat edible — if anyone was starving, that is.

In only a week, small green shoots were peeking hopefully out of the soil. Aerith started placing the flowerpots in every room. The ninja assumed that the plants would die within a short amount of time, since many of the rooms did not have much sunlight. However, the plants were resilient, beaming out of their pots. And with a little bit of time (and magic, she suspected), they started blossoming.

Suddenly, Merlin’s house had changed. All the colors she could ever imagine would pop up in corners and on tables whenever she looked around. And, hey, she couldn’t help but grin. Leon wasn’t as mopey as usual. Even grumpy old Cid got to a level of “just-don’t-bother-me-right-after-I-wake-up”. The atmosphere lightened considerably.

Now, every time Yuffie spots the flowers placed throughout the house, she thinks of home, which is blatantly ridiculous. She  _is_  home. But…

 _Home is where the heart is_ , they say. Maybe home is with her friends.

Maybe they have a chance of standing tall and resilient, just like the flowers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here come the headcanons! While I do wish Nomura had put the Committee into BBS, I agree that the storylines would have been confusing with them.
> 
> Anyways, I have a headcanon (obviously taken from FFVII) that Aerith sold flowers before Radiant Garden was destroyed. Also, I'm not too sure as to whether or not the Committee members knew each other before Traverse Town. But since Radiant Garden seems to be a relatively small town/world, I suppose they did.


	3. gift

The first thing he heard that morning was something someone would usually associate with a particularly annoying songbird.

"Wake up!" he heard Yuffie yell shrilly, and suddenly, the curtains covering the window were thrown off to the side. Rays of sunlight blasted through the clear glass, and Cid groaned in protest. He was ready to strangle the ninja, but he could hear her bounding out of the room, snickering.

What a way to start Christmas Day.

Needless to say, Cid didn't stay in under the covers that morning. It would be hard to do so; Yuffie would have most definitely come back to haunt him. He later joined the Leon at the dining table with breakfast (Aerith and Yuffie were helping Merlin with something; who knew  _what_ ), and raised an eyebrow at his taciturn friend.

"Yuffie got ya, didn't she?" Cid grumbled, and Leon's expression was all he needed to see to confirm what he already knew.

The two men sat and ate their breakfast in silence, as neither of them were very talkative. Every so often, Aerith would pop in to check on them, and she'd smile and walk back out. To any unwary visitor, they would have probably just assumed that she was in her normally pleasant mood. However, her friends immediately picked up the signal that there was something fishy going on. And since Leon and Cid had known Aerith for more than ten years, the latter was most likely the truth.

Some time afterwards, Yuffie jumped in, with Aerith trailing behind her. "C'mon, you butts!" Yuffie laughed, grabbing Leon by the arm and pulling him out. "We've got a  _big_  surprise for ya!" Cid looked questioningly at Aerith, but all she did was smile and shoo him towards the computer room. And when he entered the room, despite the countless hours he'd spent there, working on the Claymores, he didn't recognize it at all.

It was an explosion of red and green, dotted with gold and silver here and there. Merlin and Cloud were there too ( _When did Cloud get here...?_ ), waiting under —

"Tada!" Yuffie exclaimed, sounding giddy. "Meet the coolest Christmas tree  _ever_!"

Cid's jaw dropped so low it probably hit the ground. He wasn't looking at Leon, but he would bet all his munny that Leon's did too.

The last Christmas tree that he'd seen was back in Traverse Town, but that was a sorry little excuse of a tree. This one — now,  _this_  one — was magnificent, towering above their heads. It had been decorated beautifully, and perhaps for once in his life, Cid started feeling a little festive.

Everyone started exchanging gifts (somehow, that sneaky little ninja knew where Leon and Cid had hidden theirs). There was some eggnog consumed, and lots and lots of laughter. Yuffie and Cid had a secret bet about whether or not Cloud would laugh during the gift exchange, and when he did, Yuffie smirked and pocketed 20 munny.

At some point, Aerith pointed out the light snow that had started falling outside. They all rushed out at the drop of a hat. Before anyone realized what was happening, a sudden free-for-all snowball fight had started, and nobody was left out.

He'd forgotten what it felt like to have his friends gathered around, not having a care in the world. Cid chuckled to himself. Perhaps it was because when they were usually gathered around like this, it was to discuss dreadful things like restoration business. But now he remembered.

What a wonderful Christmas Day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Christmas with the Restoration Committee! Wonder how joyful — or rather, how crazy — that is.
> 
> Dedicated to the KHCC, happy holidays. Love you all.


	4. loss

It had been five years since the four friends had escaped their devastated home. Life in Traverse Town was still taking some adjusting to, even though they'd had more than a thousand days to do so. Each person had their own way of coping with the painful present.

Leon still clung to the memories of their hometown. Aerith reminisced about Radiant Garden, but did not desperately hold on as much as Leon did. Cid did not talk about it at all.

At twelve years of age, Yuffie was the only one who understood their new life. She was the only one who knew all the nooks and crannies, all the hiding holes and secret places of Traverse Town. In fact, the others quite sure she knew everything there was to know about Traverse Town. That was the what bothered Leon, however — Yuffie was growing up in a world they would hopefully leave one day.

"Yuffie..."

"Hmm?" She stopped throwing her shuriken around aimlessly, and grinned at him. "What's up, Squall?"

He winced; his name was a wound that was still fresh and bleeding. She refused to stop calling him Squall, no matter how many times he'd told her it was  _Leon, never Squall, never the coward who refused to look back_.

Leaning forward, Leon hesitated, and then asked, "D'you remember the Marketplace? Back home?" There was a small note of desperation in his voice, hoping that Yuffie remembered the warm smiles of the people there, or the shops that lined the perimeter. Maybe she remembered the Moogle that sold sea-salt ice cream in the corner. He could still recall the moment seven years ago when she had gathered up enough courage to buy the ice cream all by herself.

Leon closed his eyes for a second, and could clearly picture himself walking around the Marketplace, enjoying the slight hubbub of the atmosphere. He opened his eyes, expecting to see Yuffie nodding up and down enthusiastically.

However, he found only confusion written on her face. "Marketplace?" She paused, and finally realized what he had meant by  _home_. Home wasn't Traverse Town. "O-oh, uh, yeah," Yuffie stuttered, giving him a quick smile (Too _quick_ , Leon thought). Her smile faltered as she saw his eye twitch, and he left the room with a grimace set in stone.

She was  _forgetting_.

Leon knew he couldn't blame Yuffie — he couldn't blame  _anyone —_  for this. After all, she had only been seven when they'd escaped Radiant Garden. But no matter how hard he tried to reason with himself, it only ended with him feeling hurt, which was ridiculous. He quickly strode outside, taking gulps of fresh air.

"Are you okay?"

He jumped a little, but managed to regain his composure as Aerith quietly walked over. He nodded in reply, although it looked like she did not believe him. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You know," she murmured, "Yuffie came running over to me in tears just now."

Leon gave a little start, and stared down guiltily at his shoes. He didn't mean for her to feel horrible. "She — she doesn't remember Radiant Garden," he explained plaintively. Lost her memories of it, maybe; Traverse Town seemed to be synonymous with the word  _home_  for Yuffie now.

Placing her hands behind her back, Aerith looked off into the distance with a wistful sigh. "Well, we can't expect her to remember everything. Sometimes she even forgets to stock up on potions, when she's really excited about joining you to fight the Heartless." Her voice became softer. "But, Leon. Yuffie's only a kid. Just remember that. And once we get home, she'll remember."

There was a pause. Then, Leon nodded silently.

Aerith gave him a knowing smile. "C'mon, Mister," she teased. "Get back in there and apologize. Better tell her before she makes  _you_  cry."

He scoffed. "As if."

Laughing, Aerith walked back into the house, leaving the door open for him. Leon glanced at the light spilling from the window. It reminded him of his old home, in Radiant Garden. There'd be warmth radiating from it as he walked in, at a time when only streaks of dark blue and black hung overhead.

He shook his head. He'd lived in the past for long enough. Maybe it'd be better if he started focusing on the future instead.  _Yeah_ , Leon thought, gazing at the night sky of Traverse Town.

Because no matter what, despite the years that may pass, they'd be home once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was writing this and then I checked another tab and closed the tab with my writing on accident! Anyway, some Leon and Aerith bonding time! I should focus on Cid more but he's a grumpy old grandpa and I'm not good at writing for him.
> 
> Hooray for angst. It's the one thing that gets me going.


	5. crush

Crushes are supposed to be a secret, even when they're whispered between friends. Though some people don't tell their friends, it doesn't take a lot of guesswork to figure it all out.

Aerith already knew, and little Yuffie did too.

That morning, Cid had invited them over for pancakes. Aerith had helped him make some, while Yuffie ran around, pretending to be a mystical warrior princess of sorts. When the pancakes were done and the three were seated at the table, Cid frowned slightly.

"Is something wrong?" Aerith asked, brow creased.

He gave her a wave of his hand. "Nah," he said. "Just wonderin' — d'you guys think Tifa's been acting strange lately?"

Yuffie, who had been wolfing down pancakes, choked on a particularly large portion of it. With tears streaming down her face, she managed to get it down. "Y-yeh," was all she could say.

Aerith exchanged glances with Yuffie. A smile started to grow slowly across her face, one that was hardly seen, unless she was planning something malevolent. "Especially around Cloud, you mean?"

Suspicious, Cid narrowed his eyes at the two girls. "You sayin' what I think you're sayin'?"

"If you're guessing that Tifa has a crush on Cloud, then yeah!" Aerith said, giggling.

"Bleh!" Yuffie said, and she stuck out a tongue. In her five-year-old-mind, crushes were still regarded as something gross and unspeakable.

Aerith shushed her, and turned to face Cid again. She expected to see him shrug and move onto another topic, but he had a faraway look in his eyes. When he spoke again, his voice wasn't as harsh as it usually was. "I had a crush once, too, when I was a kid."

One jaw dropped; it was Yuffie's. The only person she knew in her short life who had a crush was Tifa. For her, it was impossible for most people to have crushes.

Unlike Yuffie, Aerith knew it was completely reasonable to think that Cid might have had a crush when he was younger, but somehow, he didn't seem to be that kind of person. She was somewhat surprised herself. "Really?"

Cid waved his hand away. "Yeah. She was cute. Always wore this blue dress, and her hair was tied up in a ponytail." He sighed, and Aerith could tell that he was a million miles and years away. "Dunno what happened to her. Just disappeared one day. Nobody said a thing."

Even Yuffie was respectfully silent. Aerith could feel a pang in her heart. "...Cid, you okay?"

Immediately, he snapped out of it. "What?" He looked at the clock, and at his half-empty dish. "Oh, damn, I gotta go do a few errands." Cid pointed at Yuffie. "Oi, you can have my share." She nodded enthusiastically and started on his pancakes, as he got up and went for the main door.

He opened it and glanced at Aerith. There was a small pause, and then he grunted. "Lock the door when you're all done, okay? I'll do the dishes." With a bang, the door closed on Cid's retreating figure.

A little while later, he returned to his house to find the dishes cleaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I asked my friend what I should write about and she suggested writing something about Tifa and Cloud. And then I thought, hey, I'll write about Cid because I never do!
> 
> ...It's been at least five months and a little more since I last updated...


	6. blood

For a kid living in Radiant Garden, Squall got injured pretty frequently. There was an explanation, of course. He earned scrapes and cuts from training with his Gunblade. They usually didn't hurt, and were minuscule. Aerith would just  _tsk_  and bandage it up, then he'd be as good as new.

But this time, it was different.

While he had been sparring with Yuffie in the Marketplace, the sky had turned black, nightmarish and cruel compared to the soft baby blue it had transformed from. The two stopped, and looked up, confused. "I'm scared," Yuffie blubbered almost immediately, breaking the silence; Squall could not blame her. Aerith, who had been watching them earlier, gaped at the dark sky.

Then, _they_ erupted out of nowhere. Squall hadn't been able to formulate even one word before the first shadow pounced.

Dodging it, he started running towards his house to find the only weapon he had — his precious Gunblade, the one his father gave him.Cid ran out of his shop and grabbed the screaming Yuffie and the shocked Aerith. "What the hell are ya doin', kid?!" he yelled. "Get back here, we can fight 'em off together!" But Squall was already gone, running, running, running,  _get out of there quick or you'll be dead._

Screams and wails filled the air, and Squall cringed whenever he heard them nearby.  _I'm sorry_ , he wanted to say, as he sprinted out of his house, Gunblade in hand. He never looked back.  _I'm sorry I'm useless, I'm sorry I can't help you. I'm sorry._

Blindly slashing at the oncoming shadows, he started making his way back to the Marketplace. He nearly tripped on a few stairs, but steadied himself and continued running, wiping the sweat off his brow.

And finally, finally, Squall saw them. Cid, fighting to keep the shadows from entering his shop, with Yuffie and Aerith huddled in the corner. Had they been waiting for him, regardless of the danger? A rare smile started forming on his lips, and he wanted to wave and yell, " _I'm here, I'm here!_ "

Then something jet-black flashed in front of his face.

The first thing that registered was pain. He cleanly cut through whatever had appeared in front of him, but the pain didn't stop. Red. There was red, lots and lots of red. Shaking, his hand went to his face, and when he pulled it away, it glistened on his palm.

He heard Yuffie scream, " _Squall!_ " but it didn't matter now because he was screaming too, senseless to the world and falling into pieces on the ground because it burned, it was fire and unlike anything he'd ever experienced in his life.

A cool hand touched his arm, and Aerith was there, urging him to stop or she wouldn't be able to treat his wound, but he couldn't. He tried, and gave up. The last thing he remembered before blacking out was Cid roughly pulling him into the shop.

He had been useless after all.

_I'm sorry._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can only imagine the severity of the wound and how painful it must have been, since 1) I've never had such a wound on my face and 2) It's got to be kind of deep to stay on his face for so long.


	7. cry

She opened her eyes.

Her first impulse was to fall asleep there, to sit on the cobblestone ground and lean against the wall behind her, to care about nothing. She closed her eyes, exhaling silently. Inhale. Exhale. She opened her eyes again. She blinked.

_...what?_

Slowly, slowly, she got up. She didn't recognize this place. It couldn't be real. Panic settled in, and her breaths got shorter. Where was she?

The girl slumped backwards, and fell to the ground, her legs feeling weak. She wanted to curl up, forgotten to the world. She began to close her eyes again, blocking out all view of this foreign place.  _Forget it,_ she told herself.  _Just forget it. Close your eyes. Nothing will hurt you. You'll be back in Radiant Garden before you know it. It's just a dream, it's just a dream..._

The darkness.That was all she could remember. She screwed up her eyes, her head pounding.  _No, don't think about it, don't think about —_

Suddenly, she saw something else besides the darkness. Cid, trying his best to push the shadows away, while Yuffie wailed next to an unconscious Squall. _No._ Where were they? _No no no no._  Where they alive?

And suddenly, for the first time in her life, the girl in the magenta dress, the girl who had always laughed brightly, started crying. The tears sprang up, hot and unbidden. She wiped her eyes on her arm, fiercely trying to make herself stop.  _Stop crying,_ she pleaded to herself.  _Aerith, stop crying._

She didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been listening to Bastille's "Pompeii" on loop. It strongly reminds me of Radiant Garden.


End file.
